Piston Ring Orientation Left and right side for installation. | 348 and 409 Engines (2024)

I never use a manual, I just make sure all the gaps are spaced apart by at least a third of the piston. They will rotate and not always at the same speed, so it's a guess if they would ever line up and cause a problem.

x2

X3

x4 I just try and keep the gap from pointing directly at the major or minor thrust area. Learned that in tech school.

Use the small block gaps that you found.

X5

Now let’s think about it: top ring has a cold endgap of .016 ( hot maybe..004) with a piston to wall of .012. That leaves a rectangle that is .004 x .006. Not likely to leak much. In fact the major cause of leak is too little end gap. The rings grow, touch off and presto instant leak rates of 40% or more.
We started running end-gaps of ,035 + and went from there. Best results were .050 or so.

I've always done 2nd ring gap 180 from the 1st ring gap then top oil ring scraper 90 from the 2nd ring gap and bottom scraper 180 from top scraper,never had an issue with it.Like El Rat says sufficient gap is critical,if the gap closes then gap placement doesn't matter.

I do mine at roughly 120 degrees apart, some a little closer/farther apart, I was of the belief that during operation the rings rotated, I could be wrong but was of this understanding, if they do rotate the position at rebuild is just a starting point to ensure little by pass.

You may need a couple more compression rings Ray.

Thanks for all info...I guess I will follow this pic I found. I am guessing the wrist pin in is where "Gaps" word is.

Very boring, tedious, job. Must be done. I remember doing a half ass rebuild, on an engine, when I was 16. I didn't have the time, for the ring end gaps.I needed my buddy, pushing me, with his truck, to start my engine, in second gear. Tight, was the word.The rings were Perfect Circle Chrome. Probably bored the engine, a few thousands over, just running it. Ran terrible.

Your story reminds me of when I was a little kid like 7 or 8 my dad and my uncle Jack overhauled the straight 8 engine in Jacks old Buick,they had polished the journals on the crank but it was still standard and had mispackaged .010 under rod bearings or something like that did the old buicks have babbited rods or did they use insert bearings,anyway when they got it all back together it wouldn't turn at all,they didn't have time to wait on new bearings so they took shim stock and made shims for between the rods and caps,when they got it back together it ran fine and my dad left him instructions to drop the pan and pull the shims out at some point,I don't remember if the recommendation was based on miles or oil pressure.